Art And Art In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

Question 1

Eyes can be unsighted in two ways; by the transition from light to darkness or by the transition from darkness to light. The same applies for the mind. Plato’s allegory of the cave is a simile that illustrates how this transition can take places. In the tale, the prisoners sitting in the cave can be said to be the philosopher who sits in ignorance. He only knows the things that have been revealed to him, things that are in plain sight. In the allegory the prisoners only know the darkness that covers the room and the shadows which are being presented on the screen. To them that is reality because it is all they have been exposed to since birth. This means that knowledge is relative to what we surround ourselves with; it is difficult to comprehend things that are beyond your sphere of contact until you are exposed to

It is an innate understanding, the principles of which are not debatable. As a result one must be aware of and begin with those first principles. Scientific knowledge is like the virtue of intellect in that what is scientifically known cannot be otherwise. Scientific knowledge is the universal truths in a given field that cannot be otherwise and can be demonstrated rationally. Art is within the class of what can be otherwise and is concerned with coming into being. Art is concerned with making or creating. Prudence or practical wisdom is similar to art, but differs slightly in that it is concerned with translating an idea into action, and the end of its activity is acting well itself. It is the ability to do the right thing at the right time and for the right reasons. Wisdom is concerned with “those things that cannot be otherwise” and is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. In wisdom, all the intellectual virtues are